Innovation, post COVID challenges top Vending Times best-read 2023 stories
The convenience services industry faced a different set of challenges in 2023 as companies stayed busy servicing accounts that were restaffing following the pandemic. As customer demand reached a fever pitch, convenience service operators shared with their customers a serious shortage of labor.
Operators were nonetheless enthused by the technology innovations that came on the market, as evidenced by the 10 best-read Vending Times stories in 2023. Following are the top 10 stories.
One area where technology made great strides in 2023 was in equipment capable of offering high quality food. The best-read Vending Times story, posted on March 14, 2023, was about Sodexo's installation of the Yo-Kai Express hot ramen noodle bowl machine at Lehigh University.
The Yo-Kai Express creates hot ramen noodles on-demand, including Tonkotsu Ramen, Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen, Vegan Ramen and Spicy Chicken Paitan Ramen.
Sodexo also installed the Starbucks Serenade single-cup, bean-to-cup brewer featuring a 17-inch touchscreen.
Identity verification technology made big strides in 2023, a development that unlocks numerous opportunities for convenience services operators. Hence, it was no surprise that the second best-read story was about the introduction of a contactless machine that allows customers to purchase alcoholic beverages.
The story, posted on Dec. 29. 2022, described how the machine, introduced by Boxx, an Arizona tech startup, uses AI-based facial matching to ensure the customer is 21 years of age
Boxx, a Techstars Detroit powered by JP Morgan 2022 portfolio company, was launched by retired Oakland Raiders player Lamarr Houston and his partner, Lauren Smee.
Hot beverages remain one of the most important product categories in convenience services, evidenced by reader response to an April 24, 2023 article summarizing the top five coffee and tea trends for 2023.
The article, authored by WebstaurantStore, a foodservice industry product and information resource, cited the following top five coffee trends: coffee concentrate, cold coffee, cold foam, protein coffee and food-topped lattes.
Top tea trends were kombucha, Moringa tea, Pu-erh tea, honeybush tea and sparkling tea.
Convenience services operators have always been tech geeks, and the evolution of coffee equipment remains a subject of fascination for many. Hence, it was no surprise that a March 20 opinion piece by veteran U.K. operator Sam Roberts on how coffee machines work made the top 10 list in 2023.
Roberts, digital marketing manager at Connect Vending, described in simple-to-understand terms the workings of the main components of a coffee vending machine: the heating element/water boiler, brewer, coffee dispenser and control system. The operation is managed by the machine's onboard computer, which manages all the machine's inputs and outputs, and monitors the data flow around machine vends and malfunctions.
Roberts also expanded on other technical aspects, such as the benefits of water tanks versus plumbed water feeds.
The Self-Service Innovation Awards that recognize the most innovative self-service products has become one of the most exciting events for self-service equipment operators. Hence it was no surprise that an article posted on Dec. 16, 2022 announcing the 2022 winners became the fifth best-read story in 2023.
Winners, honored at the 2022 Self-Service Innovation Summit in Miami, were:
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Cash continues to remain a critical part of the convenience services business, the rise of cashless payment notwithstanding.
One of the best attended panel sessions at the 2022 Self-Service Innovation Summit, titled, "Cash is not dead — it's in transition," drew an enthusiastic audience and a Jan. 30, 3034 report on this discussion was the sixth best-read story in 2023.
Panelists were Vik Devjee of CIMA Cash Handling America Inc., Rocco DiNapoli of Superior Amusements, Bruce Renard of the National ATM Council and Andrew Kartiganer of Professional Vending Services Inc.
The panelists discussed the benefits and challenges of handling cash. Benefits included not having to deal with costs and headaches of card readers. At the same time, there are fees for processing and counting cash.
New and better ways to get things done always excites convenience services operators, especially when it comes to managing the critical but challenging need for preparing and serving hot food.
Hence, it was no surprise that a Jan. 4, 2023 article about a small form cooking machine from Yo-Kai Express that uses radio frequency identification for on-demand ramen was the seventh best-read 2023 story.
The machine, YKE Desktop, can prepare ramen in 90 seconds and comes with an RFID controlled freezer that can store 20 to 24 bowls.
The company also announced plans to introduce its consumer-facing app that enables customers to use their phones to place orders remotely, as well as earn loyalty points, discounts and rewards.
One of the most exciting developments in the entertainment side of the vending industry was Apple's introduction of its Apple Vision Pro headset. A July 24 opinion piece by Vending Times amusement industry columnist Kevin Williams was the eight best-read story in 2023.
The company introduced its headset at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2023.
The goggle-like system offers per-eye 4K micro-oled displays with face/eye-tracking to the carbon fiber frame and M2 chipset processing supported by an R1 chip for the pass-through AR sensors, all linked to Wi-Fi.
Acquisitions among major industry suppliers naturally peak interest among convenience services operators, which explains why an April 8, 2023 article about Monster Energy's bid for Bang Energy from Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc. was the ninth best-read story in 2023.
Monster was the largest creditor of Vital Pharmaceuticals, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The Self-Service Innovation Summit has gained a following among convenience services operators as a launching pad for new technologies. The 2022 Summit at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida was no exception, and a Dec. 21, 2022 Vending Times report on the exhibit floor was the 10th best-read story in 2023.
Exhibits were on display during breaks between education sessions, showcasing holographic touchscreens, robot concepts, voice interaction modules, scan engines, multi-cellular routers and more.
Exhibits included 365 Retail Markets, Brendamour Logistics, Camlock Systems, Cardlepoint, Creoir, DPL, Esper, Evolis, Fase Vending, friendlyway, Ginko Systems, Honeywell, Mobile Technologies Inc., Monexgroup, Nayax Ltd., OptConnect, Pharmabox, Panoptyc, Partner Tech USA, Press N Xpress, Star Micronics America Inc. Sweet Robo LLC, UST, WTI Wireless, VE Solutions, Ventus Wireless LLC, Vispero and Zebra Technologies.